KFF Health News Weekly Edition: May 24, 2024
He Fell Ill on a Cruise. Before He Boarded the Rescue Boat, They Handed Him the Bill.
Bram Sable-Smith
A man from Michigan was evacuated from a cruise ship after having seizures. First, he drained his bank account to pay his medical bills.
The Case of the Armadillo: Is It Spreading Leprosy in Florida?
Sam Ogozalek, Tampa Bay Times
A single Central Florida county reported 13% of all U.S. leprosy cases in 2020. Researchers have teamed up to investigate whether armadillos are passing the bacteria that cause the disease to humans — which is especially concerning as the animals expand their range farther north.
FDA Urged To Relax Decades-Old Tissue Donation Restrictions for Gay and Bisexual Men
Rae Ellen Bichell
Federal regulations prevent gay and bisexual men from donating tissue, such as corneas, ligaments, and blood vessels. Similar restrictions have been relaxed or lifted for donated blood and organs in recent years.
Anti-Abortion Hard-Liners Speak Up
While Republican candidates in many states downplay their opposition to abortion, the most vehement wing of the movement, which helped overturn Roe v. Wade — those who advocate prosecuting patients, outlawing contraception, and banning IVF — are increasingly outspoken. Meanwhile, some state legislatures continue to advance new restrictions, like a proposal moving in Louisiana to include abortion medications mifepristone and misoprostol on the list of the most dangerous drugs. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins schools of public health and nursing and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Shefali Luthra of The 19th about her new book on abortion in post-Roe America, “Undue Burden.”
Los Angeles County Launches Ambitious Plan To Tackle Medical Debt. Hospitals Groan.
Molly Castle Work
Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous county, is spearheading a comprehensive plan to tackle a $2.9 billion medical debt crisis. Hospitals are still getting on board with the project, which is helmed by the public health department.
Clues From Bird Flu’s Ground Zero on Dairy Farms in the Texas Panhandle
Amy Maxmen
Dairy farmers and veterinarians in northern Texas furiously investigated a mysterious illness among cattle before the government got involved. Their observations are telling.
4 Ways Vaccine Skeptics Mislead You on Measles and More
Amy Maxmen and Céline Gounder
Vaccine scare tactics haven’t shifted, but more parents are falling for them. Here’s what the rhetoric gets wrong and how it endangers children.
California Pays Meth Users To Get Sober
Angela Hart
California’s Medicaid program is testing a novel approach for people addicted to methamphetamine, cocaine, and other stimulants. For every clean urine test, they can earn money — up to $599 a year.
Exclusive: Senator Urges Biden Administration To Thwart Fraudulent Obamacare Enrollments
Julie Appleby
With tens of thousands of Americans already affected by enrollment scams that leave some without doctors or treatments, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden wants increased enforcement against rogue agents or other perpetrators and legislation to allow for criminal penalties.
Biden Leans Into Health Care, Asking Voters To Trust Him Over Trump
Phil Galewitz
President Joe Biden’s new health care ad draws on the Affordable Care Act’s popularity among independent voters and alludes to his edge over Trump on health issues.
High Price of Popular Diabetes Drugs Deprives Low-Income People of Effective Treatment
Renuka Rayasam
The makers of Ozempic and Mounjaro charge list prices of around $1,000 a month for the diabetes and obesity drugs, and insurers are reluctant to pick up the tab. Often, low-income patients have to resort to less effective treatments.
Medicaid Unwinding Deals Blow to Tenuous System of Care for Native Americans
Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
Although Native American and Alaska Native adults are enrolled in Medicaid at higher rates than their white counterparts, many tribal leaders feel they’ve been left in the dark as states roll through the tumultuous Medicaid unwinding that started last year.
Newsom Boosted California’s Public Health Budget During Covid. Now He Wants To Cut It.
Angela Hart
Two years after increasing state and local public health budgets by $300 million annually, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes to slash the funding in the face of California’s $45 billion deficit.
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week.
Watch: Medical Residents Are Increasingly Avoiding Abortion Ban States
On KFF Health News’ “What the Health?,” chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner interviewed Atul Grover of the Association of American Medical Colleges about its recent analysis showing that graduating medical students are avoiding training in states with abortion bans and major restrictions.
Journalists Broach Topics From Treating Shooting Victims to Sunscreen Safety
KFF Health News and California Healthline staffers made the rounds on national and local media in the last couple of weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.